Laws applicable to the Vembanad and Ashtamudi Wetlands

The State governement has sought a clarification from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to dispel the confusion over the laws applicable to the Vembanad and Ashtamudi Wetlands that have been recognised as Ramsar sites of international importance. The confusion stems from the uncertainty over which of two laws - the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 and the Coastal Regulation Zone 2011 - is applicable to the two sites. Our government maintained that this confusion was hampering the management of the wetlands and posing hurdles to development activities in the catchment areas.